Abstract

The World Report on Child Injury Prevention was published by the WHO and UNICEF in 2008. The report regards child injuries and deaths as a major public health problem requiring urgent attention. Childhood injury and violence are the predominant killers of children throughout the world; it is estimated that they are responsible for the death of approximately 1 million children under the age of 18 years annually. Accidental injuries account for the vast majority (90%) of these cases, while the remainder (10%) is estimated to be due to violence or maltreatment.